Second Chapter for tonight! And the musical! I love Les Mis
"Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god!" I shook my hands and then wrung them. I shifted from foot to foot. Fang laughed loudly but I could see his hands shaking as he leant back against the counter.
The hall was slowly filling with people. The actors were back stage getting their make up done and their costumes on but Fang had to wait for his turn to go and play piano and sing and then our band was going. AND THEN we could go and get our costume and make up done.
"We'll be okay," Fang said. He took a deep breath. He wasn't wearing his leather jacket, he was wearing a pair of black jeans and his black shirt but he had on a proper dinner jacket over the top, his tie was white.
I was already dressed for the band's performance in my black jeans, black and gold tank top and gold, translucent long-sleeved shirt.
"You look great, by the way," Fang commented, trying to distract himself. We could hear the babble of voices in the hall and both of us looked at our hands, panicked.
"Why are we nervous?" I whispered. "We've played in front of this many people before."
"We've never acted in front of this many people though," Fang reminded me. "But we'll be fine." I nodded and Fang straightened up and took a deep breath.
"Max, Fang…" The whisper belonged to Zac as he joined us, dressed at Val Jean.
"You look wonderful," I whispered.
"And you," Zac replied. "Hey, good luck man, I've never heard you do a solo before. Your band performance should be great though. You're always great."
"Thanks," Fang said, smiling. I nodded, shaking terribly.
"Calm down," Zac whispered to me. I nodded but didn't stop shaking. Fang chuckled and we all fell silent as Mr Callahan introduced the concert and the first acts of the music. Iggy, Steve and Damen joined us as we waited for Fang's turn.
We listened to a tonne of musical performances, none as good as Fang but then again I was biased. Fang took a deep breath when it came to his turn and I gave him a hug.
"Good luck," I whispered and he nodded. Iggy and the boys clapped him on the shoulder and he went out.
"Will he be okay? He looked like he was going to hurl," Zac said, putting his arm around my waist.
"He'll be fine," I assured Zac. Zac nodded and I peeked onto the stage as Fang sat at the piano and looked at the microphone before beginning.
--
"Hello everyone," Fang said, smiling slightly. The stage lights were brilliant- he could barely see anyone out in the dark hall. "I'm Fang, as most of you know. Welcome to the New Year's Concert."
Fang took a deep breath and began playing.
"We do almost everything
That lovers do
And that why's it's hard
Just to be friends with you
And every time your heart is broken
By the fool I want you to know
That it hurts me too
It's hard to wipe your tears away
Knowing you should be with me, tell me."
Max was Fang's best friend and he loved her as more than that but she never knew. If Zac ever hurt her it would kill Fang but he'd be there for her no matter what. This was what Iggy had meant by the song meaning something for Fang. It described how he felt very well.
"Why, why are we still friends
When everything says
We should be more than what we are
And tell me why
Every time I find someone that I like
We always end up being just friends."
Why couldn't they be something more? Why?
"I would hate for you to find somebody new
Who you really love
Cause it could mean losing you
But am I a fool girl not to say
If I'm always scared I'll lose you anyway
Somehow someway I've got to choose
Got to choose no matter if it's win or lose."
Fang knew that he would love Max no matter what. But luckily for him he knew that he would always own a place in heart that nobody else ever would but he was still scared of losing her to somebody else.
"Why, why are we still friends
When everything says
We should be more than what we are
And tell me why
Every time I find someone that I like
We always end up being just friends."
Fang closed his eyes as he got to the bridge, this was the part that ripped his heart up the most so he sang it with as much emotion as he could pour into the song, thinking of Max the whole time.
"I don't want to be like your brother
I don't want to be your best friend
I only want to be your lover
When will this end?
If I told you that I want to be in your life?
If you could be the woman in mine."
Fang's heart ached as he thought of those words. He was Max's best friend and he was practically her brother and that's what killed him the most- that she couldn't see how much he loved her and wanted to be more than her very best friend. But he was happy with his position, happy that he meant as much to her as he did.
He just wished that she loved him too.
"Why, why are we still friends
When everything says
We should be more than what we are
And tell me why
Every time I find someone that I like
We always end up being just friends."
Fang finished and opened his eyes and stood. The applause that rang up around the hall was astounding and Fang smiled despite the ache in his heart and he bowed.
"Alright, give me a moment and I'll be right back," Fang said into his microphone, feeling the thrill of performing returning to him. Fang darted off stage as the hands moved his piano.
Max already had Fang's leather jacket and he swapped his dinner suit, Zac took it with a smile.
"That was great," he said.
"Thanks," Fang replied, a grin on his face. Max frowned at him, eyebrow raised. "Let's go! It's time to rock!"
Max grinned and clasped his hand for a moment. Fang smiled and then the boys all cheered and they ran on stage together. Fang felt adrenaline run through him and he looked at Max and she gave him her most beautiful smile and his heart performed a triple-back flip, making it easier for him to perform.
"Please welcome 'The Flock'," Mr Callahan shouted as the curtains were drawn again.
--
While my make up was being done I listened to Zac singing the opening song of the play. It was a while before either Fang or I had to go on but I was still nervous again. Our band had done brilliantly and that had been exhilarating but now I was nervous as all get out again.
"Ready?" Fang asked me as I left the girls' dressing room. We both looked pretty cool in our costumes.
"Almost," I replied. "How long?"
"A while," Fang replied, shrugging.
We waited, listening until it was Fang's turn- Zac joined us when his parts were done for the time being. Fang took a deep breath and I gave his hand a squeeze as he walked onto stage with the other actors. Zac was silent with me as we waited for our entrance.
The scene ended and I saw Adrian waltz past me with a dark look in my direction. I heard she and Fang singing and I tried not to giggled as I imagined how Fang would be feeling about singing with his ex.
"Our turn," Zac whispered and we went on together. I waited with a deep breath for Fang to bump into me.
"I didn't see you there, forgive me," he sang and spoke at the same time. I smiled tentatively as the seen went on around us. Soon Zac rushed by and grabbed me so we could disappear.
After that first part it became so natural, coming on and off stage. Singing and dancing with Fang. It was so wonderful. And being with Zac but treating him as my father was so hard, I had to try so hard not to laugh.
In the gap between act two we all had a little laugh about me and Zac but then we had to take deep breaths and dive back in for the part of the play with action, tears and the kiss between Fang and I.
Listening to Adrian's solo was so annoying but I lived through it, making faces with Fang and Zac back stage. We were all trying so hard not to laugh. When Fang had to kiss her, he came back to us and pulled a disgusted face as Zac went back onto the stage.
This was turning out to be brilliant fun.
"I like this," Fang said. "Dunno why I didn't join up for the one last year."
"It is fun," I whispered. "I'm glad Miss Alike made us audition."
"As am I."
We smiled at each other and then listened to the singing with the other actors. Then it was Fang's turn again and I watched from the sides as Zac sang over Fang and then picked him up. The effort it took not to laugh my head off at that was more than the effort it took me not to hit Adrian more times before I actually had.
So in other words it took a lot of effort.
So many characters die in this musical, I never realised before. Though it had been fun to watch Adrian die. If only she could die in real life. Sigh. A girl can dream.
When I finally got to go on and sing with Fang I felt happy. It felt natural and easy and I heard the crooning from the audience as we proclaimed our love for one another. Fang held me gently and then Zac came on stage.
I left and listened to Fang and Zac singing together.
Then came the wedding. We danced hand-in-hand to the front of the stage and Fang pulled me in and kissed me gently, sending my world spinning in a way that made no sense to me and I had to take a deep breath so that I wouldn't fall over.
He pulled me to his side through most of the scene and then had to leave for his argument with Thenardier and then held me gently as we left the stage together.
It wasn't long before Zac's death scene and my tears were real. Imagining Zac dying was so hard and the scene itself was very touching. Fang held me as Zac and the other girls sang as ghosts.
Then the stage lights dimmed for a moment for us all to get into place for the finale. We all sang together and from what I could hear it sounded fantastic and then the curtain fell and the cheering and applause was deafening. We went back stage to wait for our curtain calls.
The extras went first and from there until Adrian went out with the people who played her parents and then Marius's student buddies and then Fang and I went out and we got huge applause as we bowed and then turned to each other and hugged, him kissing more forehead, the way Miss Alike said would fit.
Then Zac and Sam (the guy who played Javert) came out with Amanda (Fantine) and bowed to us. We all applauded and then had a whole cast bow and waved to the audience before disappeared to get changed.
"I think I can handle two more performances," I giggled and Fang hugged me.
I got changed and came out and met with Fang and Zac. Miss Alike and Mr Callahan were with them.
"That was brilliant!" Miss Alike trilled. "Here Max, these are from some lovely kids who are waiting at the entrance to back stage." Miss Alike handed me a huge bouquet of flowers.
"What?" I asked with a frown. Fang shrugged but he looked a little two innocent.
"Come on," he said dragging me and Zac with him.
"You were great!" Mr Callahan called after us. Fang led me to the entrance of backstage and I was greeted by a brilliant sight that made me shriek with happiness.
"James! Chris! Jessie! Anna!" I shouted. I didn't miss that JJ and Sam weren't there but I was so happy to see the other four. Zac took my flowers so I could hug them.
"You were so wonderful," Anna squealed.
"Is this Zac?" Chris asked, eyeing him thoughtfully.
"Yes this is Zac," I explained. "Zac these are my friends Anna, Jessica, James and Chris." They all greeted each other and the girls hugged Fang while James and Chris shook his hand.
"Oh gosh, you guys were wonderful," Jessie explained. "That was so worth it."
"We have to go back in," Zac murmured, listening back. "We've got the countdown."
"Right," I replied. We said goodbye to the others, Fang and I promising to talk to them after the countdown and then we went back inside. I put my flowers with my bags and then we all joined Miss Alike on stage to countdown to New Years.
Fang took one of my hands and Zac had my other one and suddenly I felt like I was being torn in two but I wasn't sure why.
"10…" We all chanted and I frowned.
Fang's hand felt right and so did Zac's .
"9…"
What was with all these confusing feelings?
"8…"
How come Fang acted so oddly sometimes?
"7…"
Why did I have such a bad feeling about next year… or rather the year that was coming in a few seconds?
"6…"
I hated feeling like this!
"5…"
What did Dad mean about Fang caring about me more than Zac? I looked at him and he looked at me and his eyes swirled with affection.
"4…"
Fang didn't love me that way. I glanced at Zac and he grinned, sending my heart into an acrobatics routine. Zac loved me that way and I loved him.
"3…"
Maybe Fang did care about me a lot more but not in the way Dad thought.
"2…"
I needed to figure something out with my two guys. I needed both of them but I hated feeling torn like this. Like I had to spent more time with one of them than the other.
"1…"
I knew it, I had it!
"Happy New Year!" We all shouted.
My New Year's Resolution: stop over thinking things and try and figure out what was wrong with Fang but mostly…
Figure out what the hell was going on in my heart!